West Indies Beat Sri Lanka: West Indies are off to a spectacular start in their three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka away, by registering a 5-wicket win in the 1st T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla.






Kamindu Mendis scored a brilliant half-century to guide the hosts beyond the 175-run margin, as Sri Lanka ended their innings at 179/7 in their 20 overs.


The total proved to be too short of the competitive mark on a flat surface, as West Indies raced to the target, thanks to stunning fifties from Brandon King and Evin Lewis.


"Yeah, thank you. Obviously my role is to try and get the team off to a good start, it is a nice wicket here. Good that it came off. Yeah, it was tough. Been out for a couple of months, but glad to be back on the field. I think the pitch got better in the second innings. As openers, we try and take advantage of the powerplay and glad that we could get the team off to a good start. Chasing the score like 180, you have to have a good powerplay. Our roles are very clear and we always take that risk to get the team off to a really good start," said Brandon King, who was awarded the Player of the Match.


Here's What The Two Captains Said During Post-Match Presentation Ceremony


Rovman Powell (West Indies Captain):


"Yeah, definitely. It is important to take early lead when you come to Sri Lanka. They are a good team at home. Yeah toss does help but whatever you do, you have to be at the top of your game. In T20 format, individual performances win you games. That is what I tell my team that if individuals stand up and perform, more often than not, the team will win. We want players to play their natural game. It's a combination that has worked well for us."


Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka Captain):


"Ah... But my point of view is more of good shots than bad balls. West Indies batters batted really well. Still, we could have done better in the powerplay. I was still experimenting. I wanted to give some over for Chamindu Wickramasinghe. He is a part-time bowler. It didn't work for us. I will go back to Maheesh Theekshana in the next game."


"We batted well and that is a plus point. We need to improve a few areas going into the next game. Powerplay bowling is one of the main areas of improvement and that is the main concern for me as a captain. We will have a chat about it in the team meeting."